Pencil



July 9, 1929.

PENCIL H. S. HASSELQUIST Filed June 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 9, 192.9@ H. s. HA'ssELQulsT l 1.720.417

PENCIL Filed June 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES HUGO S. HASSELQ'UIST,

PATENT OFFICE.

0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PENCIL.

`Application led .Tune 5,

wherein is incorporated means for feeding forwardly a longitudinally movable lead.

'lhe primary object of the invention resides in the provision of improved meansy for asso- A ciating in proper relation the lead-control ling mechanism of a pencil with the barrel; the means referred to being preferably embodied in an integraladapter member of'tuloular form presenting, rst, a mounting for the assembly and operation of the mechanism independently of the barrel, and second, an attaching portion for engagement with the barrel.

While the foregoing statement is indicative, in general, of the nature of the invention, other objects and advantages not herein specifically referred to will be appreciated upon a full comprehension of the novel features lib presented in the construction, arrangement and manner of employment of the present adapter member.

lln order that the invention may be readily understood, an exemplifying embodiment of the same is set forth in conjunction with one particular pencil construction in the accompanying drawings and in the following detailed description based thereon. Obviously,

the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other and varied constructional forms without departure from the essence of the inventionor the sacrifice of its material advantages; Wherefore it is to be understoodthat the drawings and description are to be taken in an illustrative and not in any unnecessarily limiting sense.

lin the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pencil construction embodying the adaptermember of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through'the front portion lof the pencil construction;

Fig. 3 is a similar section through the rear portion 'of the same; y

Fig. l is a transverse section on the line 1 l of Fig. 2; 0

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the llne 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed side elevation of the lead feed tube;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6'; i

1922. Serial No. 566,167.

Fig. 8 is a detailed side elevation of the feed linger unit; Y

Fig. 9 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 1() is a detailed side elevation of the feed sleeve;

F ig. 11 is a detailed side elevation of the adapter member;

Fig. 12 is a transverse section on the line L12-.12 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a detailed perspective of the feed nu Referring now with more particularity to the drawings, it will be seen that the pencil construction which has incorporated therein the subject of this invention consists principally of a lead controlling mechanism 10, a barrel 11, and an adapter tube 12 for associating in proper relation the mechanism 10 with the barrel 11.

The lead controlling mechanism 10 is mounted independently of the barrel 11 on the adapter tu e 12 and consists of a lead feed tube 18, a feed finger unit 14e, a feed sleeve 15, a feed nut 16 and an operating ferrule 17.

The barrel 11, which may be formed of any suitable material, is provided with an axial bore having a diameter which is governed to a certain extent by the strength and weight of the material of which the barrel is formed g a large bore beine usually desirable in a metal barrel, a smallerthore in a composition barrel, and a still smaller bore in a wooden barrel. A cap 19 ts .over the reduced rear end of the barrel and serves to cover an eraser 2O which is frictionally held in the rear screw-threaded end of the bore 18. The front portion of the bore 18 is intended to encompass and frictionally engage the rear portion of the adapter tube 12, while the rear portion of the bore 18 is intended to serve as a reservoir for containing a plurality of leads 21.

The adapter tube 12, which is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, is constructed of cylindrical tubing and is characterized by a long intermediate cylindrical portion 22, a short front cylindrical portion 23 of increased diameter, and a short rear crimped portion 24 of reduced-diameter having inwardly pressed longitudinal corrugations for 'resenting in ef-v -fect an inner triangular sur ace. The adapt-- er tube 12 provides, independently of the barrel 11, an operative mounting for the lead-- controllin mechanism 10; the mechanism bethe The lead feed tube 13, which is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, constitutes a guidewa-y for the longitudinal movement of the leads therethrough and is characterized by a front longitudinal split conical portion 25 and a rear triangular portion 26. Rearwardly elongated apertures 27 are formed in the fiat Walls of the triangular portion 26 commencing at the junction of these two portions, and-the front ends of t-hese apertures are bent outwardly at an angle to provide lips 28 for coaction with the fingers of' the feed finger unit 14. I f

The feed finger unit 14, which is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, consists of three angularly arranged feed ingers29 which are integrally connected t'o a short tube 30 by means ,of

resilient stem portions 31 tending to spring the fingers 29 outwardly away from the axis of the tube. The rear end of the tube 30 is pressed into triangular shape and is longitudinally7 split' intermediate the corners of triangular portion. An outwardly turned flange 32 is formed on the rear edge of the triangular portion for a purpose explained in connection with the operation of the lead controlling mechanism. The feed finger unit is adapted to encompass the triangular portion of the lead feed tube 13, in which position the feed fingers project through the apertures 27 of the tube into engagement with the lead 21, and the split triangular rear end portion of the feed finger unit interlocks with the feed tube against angular movement and bears inwardly thereagainst with a slight friction. The front inclined surfaces of the feed fingers 29 are disposed at about the same angle to the axis 'of the lead feed tube as the coacting lips 28 on the tube, and the rear inclined surfaces of A the fingers are disposed at an angle of about 10o to the axis ofthe vlead feed tube.

The feed sleeve 15, which is illustrated in Fig. '10, consists of a short cylindrical tube provided on its outer surface with abrupt outwardly extending triple screw threads 33.`

' purposes hereinafter made obvious.

rl`hese threads, which may either be formed integrally with Jrhe sleeve or on a thin band rigidly associated therewith, are disposed intermediate the ends of the sleeve. The bore of the sleeve is increased slightly in diameter near its front end and the front inner edge of the sleeve is tapered outwardly-both for The feed sleeve is adapted to encompass thef' feed finger unit 14, and may be assembled into position therewith by pressing the .feed fingers inwardly when no lead is in the lead feed tube and moving the sleeve rearwardly. In this position the rear port-ion of the bore in the sleeve will fit snugly without friction about the tubular portion 30 of the feed finger unit in advance of the outwardly exeuding iiange 32. The screw threads 33 of the sleeve 15 are provided with a longitudinally extending slot 34 fo'ii coaction with an .inwardly pressed lug 35 located on the adapter tube l2 adjacent the front end thereof.

The lead feed tube, the feed finger unit, and the feed sleeve are adapted, when thus assembled, for association with the adapter tube, the inwardly facing corrugated triangular walls of the rear end of the adapter tubevbeing intended to receive and frictionally engage the rear end of the lead feed tube, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the nature and extent of the engagement being such as to permit the feed tube to be deflected. slightly with respect to the adapter tube for the purpose of allowing the feed tube to align itself with other portions of the mechanism, and the front enlarged cylindrical portion of the adapter tube being intended to telescope over and form a snug but frictionless guide for the screw-threaded portion of the feed sleeve whereby to permit longitudinal movement of the sleeve therein, while preventing, through the lug 35 and the groove 34, any angular movement therebetween.

The feed nut 16, which is illustrated in Fig. 13, consists of a short cylindrical tube which is provided at its forward end with three inwardly projecting angularly arranged threads 36 adapted to operate in the screw 9 threads 33 of the feed sleeve. The ferrule 17 is assembled rigidly with the feed nut by being telescoped over the latter as shown in Fig. 2. The ferrule and the feed nut are then assembled with the previously described port-ions of the lead controlling mechanism and the adapter tube by being telescoped over the enlarged front portion 23 of the adapter tube and forced rearwardly over a narrow annular band 37 which is freely journalled on the intermediate portion 22 of the adapter tube, the rear end of the lead aperture 38 in the front tapered end of the ferrule just clearing the front split end of the lead feed tube when the parts are thus assembled. The band 37 carrying the feed nut and the ferrule is prevented from forward axial movement by the annular shoulder formed on the adapter tube at the unction of the front and intermediate portions thereof.

The lead controlling mechanism thus operatively mounted on the adapter tube may be properly associated with any desired type of barrel by inserting the rear and intermediate portions of the adapter tube in the bore of the barrel as far as the band 37 on the tube will permit. The frietional engagement between the adapter tube and the barrel may be relied upon to maintain the former in centered alignment with the latter, or any cementitious substance may be applied to their surfaces of Contact at the time of assembling.

The leads 21 which are used in the pencil are stored in the rear portion of the bore 18 anism will now be explained. In Fig. 2 this mechanism is shown with the axially movable feed fingers and feed sleeve in their forward positions. llt will be noted that in these positions the feed fingers are clamped tightly against the lead 2l by the camming actions both of the lips 28 located on the lead feed tube and of the front inner edge of\ the feed sleeve. 'llhe angle at which the lips 28 bear inwardly on the feed fingers is such that the hngers will release therefrom automatically upon the withdrawal rearwardly of the feed sleeve, and the angle at which the edge of the feed sleeve bears inwardly on the feed iingers is such that forward movement of the sleeve when the sleeve and feed fingers are in their rearward pos1t1ons will serve to spring the fingers inwardly into clamping engage ment with the lead before moving the fingers forwardly therewith. It will also be noted that in the forward positions of the feed iingers and feed sleeve shown in Fig. 2 the rear' end of the sleeve is not in contact with the coacting dange 32 of the finger unit.

Assuming that the lead 21 is tightly clamped in the pencil, as shown in Fig. 2, and that the exposed portion of the lead has been worn down, it is merely necessary in order to expose more of the lead that one grasp the ferrule 17 between the thumb and foreinger, for instance, of the left hand, and give the same a short rotary twist to the left and back again to a point where the ferrule seems to frictionally tighten on the barrel. When more lead is desired it is only necessary to repeat this simple operation or else to give originally a longer rotary twist to the ferrule. yllhe rotary twist given the ferrule functions, in the manner hereinafter described, both to feed the'lead forwardly and then to clamp it in its adjusted position.

As the ferrule is rotated to the left the threads of the feed nut l@ move the feed due to the frictional grip thereon of the565 slitted front end of the lead feed tube.

The slight frictional bearing of the feed linger unit on the lead feed tube, which was referred to in the description of the said unit, is` for the purpose of obviating any chance of the feed fingers moving rearwardly in their depressed positions with the initial rearward movement of the sleeve and thereby causing the lead on which the fingers are clamped to move rearwardly also. Another purpose of this frictional lbearing is to insure that the hngers are clamped against the lead before commencing to move forwardly in the manner hereinafter described.

When the ferrule is now rotated in the opposite direction into its ultimately tight posi.- tion the feed sleeve is moved forwardly and cams the feed lingers inwardly into a iirm clamping engagement with the lead. The feed fingers and lead then move forwardly as a unit to a point where the front ends of the lingers engage with the lips 28 of the tube and are locked in a wedged position between the tongues, the sleeve and the lead, thereby preventing further rotation of the ferrule in that direction.

As one lead moves forwardly in the feed tube another follows therebehind, and as soon as the aperture between the tube and magazine isclear still another lead will follow the second, the leads feeding automatically, one

by one, from the magazine to the feed tube asthe lead controlling mechanism is operated to project from the point of the pencil the foremost lead. It will be appreciated that by the employment of this arrangement the entire supply of leads contained in the feed tube and magazine may be projected from the pencil by the lead controlling mechanism without any re-loading or adjusting operation.

- 'lhe construction, arrangement and opera-` tion of the parts comprising the present invention provide, first, a rigid centrally aligned connection of the lead controlling mechanism with any barrel, second, a guide for axial, movement of certain portions of the mechanism, third, a journal for rotary` movement of certain other portions of they mechanism while preventing axial movement of said portions, fourth, means for preventing rotation between certain axially movable portions of the mechanism and the barrel, and fifth, means for engaging the feed tube and holding the same against axial movement while permitting of a centering thereof by other aligned portions of the mechanism.

- The band 37 over which the feed nut and ferrule telescope and-are held by frictional engagement against withdrawal or angular movement relative thereto constitutes a very efcient means for locking the various parts in their assembled'positions. This ring may be dispensed with and the rear ends of the llii vfeed nut and ferrule spun inwardly to the rear of the annular shoulder on the adapter tube.

I claim:

l. In a mechanical pencil, lead controlling mechanism, a barrel, and an adapter member' telescopically arranged for a portion of its length Within the barrel in fixed frictional engagement With the same, said member extending from the barrel and being provided eXterior'ly thereof With a journalling portion for rotatably mounting on the outer surface thereof an exteriorly positoned operating portion of the mechanism.

2. In a mechanical pencil, lead controlling mechanism, a barrel, and an adapter tube having a long intermediate portion for fixedly positioning the tube within the barrel, a short front portion of increased'diameter for rotatably positoning a portion of the mechanism, and a short rear portion indented to form on'its inner surface constrictions for engaging with. another portion of the mechanism.

3. a-mechanical pencil, lead controlling mechanism, a barrel, and an adapter member having a portion telescopically arranged within the'barrel in fixed engagement with the barrel and in deliectable engagement with a portion of the mechanism and having a portion projecting from the barrel in rotat' able engagement with another mechanism.

4. In a mechanical pencil, lead controlling mechanism, a barrel, and an adapter tube having a portion telescopically arranged within the barrel in fixed engagement out- Wardly with the barrel and in deiecl'able cngagement inwardly with a portion of the mechanism and having a portion projecting from the barrel in rotatable engagement outwardly with another portion of the mechanism.

5. In a mechanical pencil, lead controlling mechanism, a barrel, and an adapter tube having a portion telescopically arranged within the barrel in fixed engagement outwardly With respect to the barrel and in engagement inwardly with a portion of the mechanism portion of the and having a portion projecting from the barrel n non-rotatable but axially movable engagement inwardly with another portion of the mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

HUGO S. HASSELQUIST. 

